Florida Man Arrested for Attempted Murder After Shooting Two Men He Believed Were Palestinians

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—A Florida resident faces two counts of attempted murder following an incident in Miami Beach where he fired upon two men, mistaking them for Palestinians.

An arrest report indicates that Mordechai Brafman fired 17 shots in what has been described as an “unprovoked” assault. He claimed to officers that while driving his truck, he “saw two Palestinians” and opened fire on their vehicle, believing he had killed them. Fortunately, both men survived; one was hit in the shoulder while the other was grazed by a bullet.

Brafman, 27, is currently being held without bail on second-degree murder charges at a jail in Miami, as per official records. He has also been instructed to maintain distance from the victims, identified as an Israeli father and son who were enjoying a vacation in South Florida, according to the Miami Herald.

His attorney, Dustin Tischler, has stated that Brafman was in a “severe mental health crisis” during the shooting, which led him to “fear for his life.”

Tischler remarked that “his ability to make rational decisions was significantly impaired,” suggesting that Brafman is now pursuing “necessary treatment” while cooperating with authorities.

The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy and civil rights group, is urging the federal government to file hate crime charges against Brafman. They argue that his alleged bias against Palestinians ought to result in such charges, regardless of the victims’ backgrounds.

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